Ball hitting practice device

ABSTRACT

A ball hitting practice device including a support portion adapted to be mounted in a horizontal position above the ground. A carrier member is rotatably mounted on the support portion and is connected to a cord which in turn has a ball connected to the lower end thereof. The carrier member is formed with an opening larger than the cross-sectional size of the support portion and is of a relatively narrow width so when the ball is subjected to a horizontally directed force, the ball together with the carrier member rotates about the support portion with a limited area thereof in constant contact with the outer surface of the support portion and the carrier member is free to move laterally along the support portion to indicate the direction the ball would have traveled if it were unrestrained.

United States Patent 1 Biskup [451 Aug. 2e, 1974 BALL HITTING PRACTICE DEVICE [76] Inventor: Edward J. Biskup, 18210 Birwood Blvd., Birmingham, Mich. 48009 [22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 391,567

[52] US. Cl. 273/26 E, 273/29 A, 273/208, 273/185 C [51] Int. Cl A631) 69/40 [58] Field of Search 273/26 R, 26 E, 29 R, 208, 273/196, 197 A, 200, 95 A, 58 C, 185

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,929,632 3/1960 Moffatt 273/185 C 3,006,647 10/1961 Haskett 273/26 E Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown [5 7] ABSTRACT A ball hitting practice device including a support portion adapted to be mounted in a horizontal position above the ground. A carrier member is rotatably mounted on the support portion and is connected to a cord which in turn has a ball connected to the lower end thereof. The carrier member is formed with an opening larger than the cross-sectional size of the support portion and is of a relatively narrow width so when the ball is subjected to a horizontally directed force, the ball together with the carrier member rotates about the support portion with a limited area thereof in constant contact with the outer surface of the support portion and the carrier member is free to move laterally along the support portion to indicate the direction the ball would have traveled if it were unrestrained.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures BALL HITTING PRACTICE DEVICE This invention concerns a ball hitting practice device which permits a person to practice his batting swing without requiring the assistance of a pitcher or the necessity of retrieving the ball each time it is struck.

There are various forms of practice devices for hitting balls which are presently available on the market or can be found in the patented art. One type which has been proposed consists of a strap that is secured to a horizontal shaft and is connected with a cord, the lower end of which supports a ball. When the ball is struck by a batter, the ball rotates with the strap about the shaft thereby permitting the batter to practice his swing. Although this form of practice device permits the batter to develop his swing, there is no way for the batter to know whether the ball would travel in the desired direction if it were free to leave the restraining cord.

The present invention is directed to a practice device of the above-described type but includes a carrier member mounted on a horizontal support in a manner that permits the carrier member to move laterally along the support as the ball orbits thereabout and thereby indicate to the batter that the ball would travel to the left or right of center field. In order to obtain lateral movement of the carrier member, the latter takes the form of a ring having an opening which is substantially greater than the cross-sectional outer size of the horizontal support. As the ball rotates about the support,

the ring cannot only gyrate about the support but can also assume a position wherein the plane thereof is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the support so the ring can move laterally along the support. Thus, the compound movement of the ring serves to give the batter an indication as to whether the ball has been hit in a manner which would cause it to travel to a fair ball zone or a foul ball zone, if it were free to do so.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a ball hitting practice device which includes a ball attached by a flexible cord to a carrier member which is capable of moving about a horizontal support with the ball when the latter is subjected to a horizontally directed force of sufficient magnitude to create a centrifugal force acting on the carrier member; to provide a baseball practice device in which a ball is supported by a flexible tension member which has one end rigidly anchored to a ring type carrier member which will orbit about the support and move laterally relative to the support when the ball is struck by a bat having a force component directed along a line other than perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support; to provide a stationary device for practicing hitting a baseball with a bat in which the baseball is suspended by a flexible cord from a carrier member having a form which permits it to orbit about a horizontal support and move in a lateral direction along the support when the centrifugal force generated by the ball when revolving about the support is directed angularly relative to the longitudinal axis of the support; and to provide a ring type carrier member which is adapted to orbit about a stationary horizontal tubular support and has an inner diameter size which permits it to be located in planes which intersect the longitudinal axis of the support at angles less than 90.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a batter positioned adjacent to a ball hitting practice device made according to the invention and supported by a tubular end member incorporated with a swing set stand;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the ball hitting practice device taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the ball hitting practice device of FIGS. 1 through 3 mounted within an adjustable support;

FIG. 5 is a view of the adjustable support taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a device showing a modification of a portion of a ball hitting practice device shown in the above figures; and

FIG. 7 is a modification of another portion of the ball hitting practice device shown in FIGS. 1 through 4.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly FIG. 1 thereof, a ball hitting practice device 10 is shown supported by one end of a swing set stand 12 which includes a horizontally extending tubular cross bar 14 rigidly bolted at its opposite ends to outwardly diverging support poles l6, 18, 20, and 22. As seen, the practice device 10 comprises a horizontally extending support member 24 which is rigidly held in the outer end of the cross bar 14 and has mounted thereon a carrier member 26 which is connected by a flexible cord 28 to a baseball 30. The arrangement is such that a batter 32 can stand alongside the practice device 10 as shown and hit the baseball 30 with a baseball bat 34 causing the baseball 30 to revolve around the support member 24 and carry with it the carrier member 26.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support member 24 is in the form of a steel tube, one end of which is reduced in diameter and adapted to be inserted within the open end of the cross bar 14 of the swing set stand 12. Abolt 36 extends through the cross bar 14 and the inserted portion of the support member 24 so as to provide a rigid connection for fixedly holding the support member in a horizontal attitude. As seen in FIG. 3, a pair of laterally spaced and parallel stop members 38 and 40 are provided on the support member 24 and each takes the form of a disk with a central opening that has been welded to the outer diameter of the support member 24. The stop members 38 and 40 are spaced axially an amount sufficient to permit the carrier member 26 to move laterally between areas 42, 44 and 46, respectively designated as foul ball zone, fair ball zone, and foul ball zone. It will be noted that the fair ball zone 44 is centrally located between the foul ball zones 42 and 46 and is shaded. In addition, an end plate 48 is mounted on the support member 24 at the end opposite the supported end. The end plate 48 is generally rectangular in form and serves a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

The carrier member 26 is a U-bolt having a curved base section 50 and a pair of legs 52 and 54, each of which is formed with threads and adapted to pass through an aperture formed in a cross member 56 as seen in FIG. 2. A pair of nuts 58 and 60 are threadably mounted on the threaded portion of each leg and serve to lock the cross member 56 in place and together with the U-bolt form an inner opening in the carrier member 26 having a crosswise dimension which is larger than the outer diameter of the support member 24. An eye bolt 62 is connected to the cross member 56 at a point centrally located between its ends and serves as a support for one end of the cord 28, the opposite end of which is connected to an eye bolt 64 having a shank 66 which extends through the center of the baseball 30 and rigidly supports the latter through a washer and nut combination 68 located at the lower end of the shank.

From the above description it should be apparent that when the batter 32 strikes the baseball 30 with the bat 34, the fact that the baseball 30 is suspended by the cord 28 from the carrier member 26, results in the baseball following a closed curved path determined by the length of the cord 28, with the center of the path being located substantially at the center of the support member 24. By having the U-bolt of the carrier member 26 sized so the radius of its inner curved surface is larger than the radius of the outer surface of the support member 24, the centrifugal force generated by the revolving baseball 30 will cause the carrier member 26 to gyrate about the outer surface of the support member 24 with a limited inner surface'of the base section 50, as shown by the letter A, in constant contact with the outer surface of the support member 24. Assuming the carrier member 26 is located midway between the stop members 38 and 40 so that it lies in a central portion of the fair ball zone 44 and it is struck by the bat 34 in a manner where if the batter were located at the home plate of a baseball diamond, the ball would travel over second base into center field so as to be classified as a center field hit, the carrier member 26 will rotate in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support member 24 and thereby indicate to the batter that the baseball 30 would have traveled to center field. On the other hand, if the baseball 30 is struck so, if free, it would travel to theleft of center field or to the right of center field, the major force component provided by the bat hitting the baseball will cause the ball to move in a plane which has an included angle less than 90 relative to the longitudinal axis of the support member 24 and the centrifugal force will cause the carrier member to move laterally along the length of the support member 24 to indicate the direction that the ball has been hit. The latter movement is realized by having the carrier member 26 take the form of a ring so that it functions somewhat like a hulahoop as it gyrates about the support member 24. It is important, therefore, that the diameter of opening in the carrier member 26 be greater than the outside diameter of the support member 24 so that the carrier member 26 can assume one of the angled positions shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3 when the baseball 30 is struck so that it would travel into right field or left field. It is also important that the carrier member 26 be of a narrow width B so that such angular movement can be realized. It will also be noted that the stop members 38 and 40 should be sized so as to prevent the inner diameter of the carrier member 26 from engaging the outer surface of either stop member when the carrier member is orbiting about the support member 24.

FIGS. 4 and show the support member 24 of FIG. 3 incorporated with a support bracket 70 comprising a base plate 72 and a pair of vertically extending channel members 74 and 76. The support bracket 70 is adapted to be mounted by screws 78 to a vertical support, such as a tree trunk or the outside of a building, and includes a plurality of apertures 80 which are formed in each channel member at equally spaced intervals. The end plate 48 secured to the carrier member 26 is adapted to be slidably carried by the channel members 74 and 76 and also includes a plurality of vertically aligned apertures which are adapted to register with the apertures 80 formed in the channel members 74 and 76 as seen in FIG. 5. Thus, the support bracket permits the support member 24 to be adjusted up or down relative to the support bracket 70 and allows the practice device 10 to be utilized by batters of differing heights.

FIG. 6 shows the cord 28 incorporated with the practice device 10 of FIG. 2 having a coil spring 82 located intermediate the eye bolts 62 and 64 and serving as an intermediate member within the length of the cord. It should be apparent that by providing a coil spring 82 of this type in the cord, the centrifugal force generated by the revolving baseball 30 will stretch the spring 82 and provide an increased are about the support member 24.

FIG. 7 shows a modified form of the carrier member 26 which, in this case, consists of a circular ring 84 having the eye bolt 62 rigidly secured thereto. As in the case of the carrier member 26 incorporated with the practice device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the inner diameter of the ring 84 is greater than the outer diameter of the support member 24.

Finally, it should be noted that the stop members 38 and 40 preferably should be spaced approximately 15 inches from each other with the fair ball zone having an axial measurement of about 7 inches and each foul ball zone measuring about 4 inches. Also, it will be noted that if desired, the zones, rather than being marked as fair and foul zones, can be identified as left field, center field and right field, but in either case the stop members should not be spaced a distance greater than 24 inches in order to allow the batter to stand along side the ball, strike it, and observe the direction of travel of the ball without the ball coming too close to the batter. In addition, the outer diameter of the support member 24 between the stop members 38 and 40 should be, as alluded to hereinbefore, less than the diameter of the opening in the carrier member 26. The relative difference between the two should be such that sufficient area is provided for easy identification of the various zones marked on the support member. In this instance, the support member 24 has an outer diameter of approximately 3.5 inches and the carrier member 26 has the inner curved portion lying on a circle that measures approximately 5.0 inches. The diameter of the support member could be smaller without affecting the operation of the invention, however, it would not be desirable to have the support member diameter less than about 1.25 inches. In other words, for best results, the inner circular portion of the carrier member 26 and also the ring member 84 should be located on a circle having a diameter less than five times the outer diameter of the support member 24 between the stop members 38 and 40.

Various changes and modifications can be made in this construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such changes and modifications are con templated by the inventor and he does not wish to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ball hitting practice device comprising a support having a rigid tubular portion adapted to be supported in a fixed horizontal position above the ground and having three axially spaced zones marked thereon, a pair of stop members secured to said rigid portion on opposite sides of said zones, a carrier member having a set preform rotatably and slidably mounted on said tubular portion of said support and having a limited inner area thereof in constant contact with the outer surface of said portion, a relatively flexible elongated member having the upper end thereof secured to said carrier member, a ball, and means fastening the lower end of said flexible member to said ball at a predetermined distance below said carrier member whereby the latter will rotate about said tubular portion and slide relative thereto between said zones to indicate the direction of travel of the ball when the latter is subjected to a horizontally directed force of sufficient magnitude to create a centrifugal force acting on said carrier member.

2. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said stop members are spaced apart from each other a distance no greater than 2 feet.

3. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said tubular portion has a cylindrical cross-section and said limited area of said carrier member is a circular part located on a circle having a diameter less than five times the outer diameter of said tubular portion.

4. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said support comprises a horizontal tubular member mounted on axially spaced pairs of diverging poles and said tubular portion has a reduced portion adapted to be mounted in one end of said tubular member.

5. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said support is a bracket having a pair of vertically extending channel members and is adapted to be attached to a fixed member and the tubular portion is provided with a flat end plate that is adjustably received by the channel members for varying the height of said tubular portion.

6. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said flexible member is a cord and a spring is interposed between the upper and lower ends of the cord.

7. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said carrier member is a ring member which is relatively narrow in width to permit the latter to rotate about said tubular portion while being located in a plane that is inclined to the longitudinal axis of said tubular portion.

8. The ball hitting practice device of claim 3 wherein the limited inner area of said carrier member in constant contact with the outer surface of said portion is bounded by an angle less than 

1. A ball hitting practice device comprising a support having a rigid tubular portion adapted to be supported in a fixed horizontal position above the ground and having three axially spaced zones marked thereon, a pair of stop members secured to said rigid portion on opposite sides of said zones, a carrier member having a set preform rotatably and slidably mounted on said tubular portion of said support and having a limited inner area thereof in constant contact with the outer surface of said portion, a relatively flexible elongated member having the upper end thereof secured to said carrier member, a ball, and means fastening the lower end of said flexible member to said ball at a predetermined distance below said carrier member whereby the latter will rotate about said tubular portion and slide relative thereto between said zones to indicate the direction of travel of the ball when the latter is subjEcted to a horizontally directed force of sufficient magnitude to create a centrifugal force acting on said carrier member.
 2. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said stop members are spaced apart from each other a distance no greater than 2 feet.
 3. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said tubular portion has a cylindrical cross-section and said limited area of said carrier member is a circular part located on a circle having a diameter less than five times the outer diameter of said tubular portion.
 4. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said support comprises a horizontal tubular member mounted on axially spaced pairs of diverging poles and said tubular portion has a reduced portion adapted to be mounted in one end of said tubular member.
 5. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said support is a bracket having a pair of vertically extending channel members and is adapted to be attached to a fixed member and the tubular portion is provided with a flat end plate that is adjustably received by the channel members for varying the height of said tubular portion.
 6. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said flexible member is a cord and a spring is interposed between the upper and lower ends of the cord.
 7. The ball hitting practice device of claim 1 wherein said carrier member is a ring member which is relatively narrow in width to permit the latter to rotate about said tubular portion while being located in a plane that is inclined to the longitudinal axis of said tubular portion.
 8. The ball hitting practice device of claim 3 wherein the limited inner area of said carrier member in constant contact with the outer surface of said portion is bounded by an angle less than 90*. 